Can that plastic container your morning blueberries come in be recycled? What should you do with the twist ties you use to keep bread fresh? Can a rusted kettle still be sold for scrap?
The Green Geek is ready to answer your questions about all things green! You’ll find this column in Pima County FYI on the second Friday of each month. If you have a question about anything green-related, send it to [email protected]. And now, on to this month’s questions!
Dear Green Geek,
Are the clear plastic clamshells used to package blueberries and small tomatoes recyclable?
— Patrick
Dear Patrick,
Plastic clamshells used to package fruit can be recycled through the City of Tucson’s Hard to Recycle Orange Bin program. This program is an expansion of a program that was previously run through Tucson’s Ward 6 office, and it permits residents to recycle numerous items that cannot be recycled through the curbside recycling program.
Other plastic items that can be recycled through this program include plastic wrap, grocery bags, straws, and cups. As with all food packaging, please make sure all items are clean and dry before recycling them.
Dear Green Geek,
Can I recycle plastic twist ties and the small plastic ties used to seal bread bags?
— Sheila
Dear Sheila,
Unfortunately, plastic twist ties are not considered recyclable. Not only are they too small to be easily processed at recycling facilities, but they are also typically made of more than one material – plastic, paper, metal – which makes them even more challenging to recycle.
The good news is that you don’t have to use these ties only once. Instead of throwing them away after you’ve finished with a bread bag, toss the ties in a drawer, where you can grab one whenever you might need it.
This is a good reminder that recycling, on its own, isn’t an automatic answer to preventing waste. It’s just as important to reuse the products we already have, whenever possible!
Dear Green Geek,
What should I do with non-working small appliances? I have a toaster and a coffee grinder and I can’t find out if there is anywhere to recycle them in Tucson. They only have a small amount of metal and would not qualify for hazardous household waste. I also have a metal stove-top kettle that has rusted inside. Would this be worth taking to a scrap metal dealer?
— Sarah
Dear Sarah,
While working appliances should always be rehomed rather than thrown out, appliances that are no longer functional can be more difficult to dispose of properly. There are some local recyclers that accept nonworking appliances, such as SA Recycling and Suburban Miners. It’s a good idea to call first to confirm that your type of appliance is accepted before making the trip.
As for your kettle, you can recycle scrap metal that has rusted as long as the rusting is not too extensive. You can find a list of local scrap facilities at Tucson Clean & Beautiful’s online recycling directory.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.pima.gov ’
